EDMONTON – Unable to hit double digits in shots for the second time this season against the stingy Alberta Pandas, the MacEwan Griffins women's hockey team was blanked 4-0 by their Edmonton rivals in the first action of the second semester on Friday night
MacEwan mustered just nine shots on net with a third of those coming from centre ice at the Downtown Community Arena.
Most of their half decent chances came in the dying minutes with the score already out of reach. It might be a push they can build off of, even as modest as it was.
Unfortunately, for the Griffins they didn't do much of that on Friday as the Pandas controlled the lion's share of possession with MacEwan mostly content to dump the puck in or attempt individual efforts that were gobbled up by Alberta's miserly defenders.
Pandas goaltender
Grace Glover had an easy nine-save shutout for her Canada West-leading fourth goose-egg of the season.
Sara Kazeil,
Natalie Kieser,
Madison Willan and
Jadynn Morden scored for Alberta as they improved to an East Division-leading 13-3-1, dropping MacEwan to 2-12-3.
Lindsey Johnson was locked in and made several excellent stops for the Griffins – a solid performance even if the statistical record gives her just an .857 save percentage (24 saves on 28 shots).
Kazeil opened the scoring with 43 seconds left in the first period when she was allowed to walk all the way around the net and the traffic in front untouched before wiring it past Johnson.
Kieser put the Pandas up 2-0 1:59 into the second period after a loose puck in the crease was cleared right to her stick and she made no mistake.
Willan added an insurance marker 7:26 into the third period, roofing a gorgeous
Abby Soyko pass over Johnson's shoulder on a one-timer in the slot.
Morden then completed the 4-0 result with a powerplay slapshot through traffic with 51 seconds left.
Alberta went 1-for-7 on the PP as the Griffins got into plenty of penalty trouble. And their powerplay was anemic on two chances.
They'll be looking to do that in the rematch, scheduled for Saturday (2 p.m., Clare Drake Arena, Canada West TV).
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